Phecda's Problematic Team was split into two non-powered lifeboats. Some members were responsible for defense while others used the oars to row towards the island.
Gu Jun was one of the rowers. He did not have any training but he held the oars with both hands and rowed as hard as he could. The muscles in his arms pulled against the water. He looked at the shore, the illusion flickered in and out of his mind. 'Did someone paddle like this before …'
Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning and Malachite rowed while Wu Shiyu, Uncle Dan and Peacock guarded the area with their rifles. Deng Ximei just sat there.
On the clear surface of the sea, more than 10 lifeboats were using this primitive method to move forward. The Shearing Centipedes from FBM fought to be at the front. The muscular members rowed harder than the last. It was as if there was a shore covered in gold and whoever reached it first would get the most.
"Let them lead the way." Lou Xiaoning glared with her left eye and said as she rowed, "Even if there's a landmine, we'll step on it first."
There was no point in competing over who would be the first team to reach the beach. It was not wise either, so the Problematic Team did not plan to participate.
Gu Jun ignored them. His temples were swollen and he could not see the other lifeboats around him. In fact, there was no one else around him. The water slapped at him, blurring the boundaries of time and space … His head started to hurt and the pain brought with it a sense of certainty …
"Everyone, be careful." His voice was hoarse, "This place is not as simple as it looks."
"I have … a headache." Deng Ximei said, "It's an abnormal energy."
The group turned serious. Xue Ba communicated with the command central to issue this warning to the other teams.
No matter what they were up to, they knew Phecda's capability so they raised their guard. Even the Shearing Centipedes' lifeboats slowed down.
The fleet even replied that the radars and satellites had not detected any abnormalities and the surrounding weather was calm, there was no sign of a storm. The other countries might have thought this information was important but Phecda knew it meant nothing. If there was a warped space here, even the laws of physics could be nullified.
The island was surrounded by the tide and the lifeboats soon ran aground. The crew jumped off the boat and stepped on the exposed rocks.
In reality, Isla Salas y Gómez was a volcanic island formed by two rocks, one 4 hectares in the west and the other 11 hectares in the east.
The group landed on the eastern side because the highest point of the island was on the cliff.
At that moment, Gu Jun's lifeboat was stranded in a tidal pool. They stopped rowing and prepared to go ashore.
Just as Gu Jun jumped down from the lifeboat and landed on the gray rock surface of the tidal crater, his eyes scanned his surroundings, and the illusion flashed across his mind.
He looked at the bottom of the black pool, and what he saw was like the black swamp that Jack Wales had described. The jagged rocks looked like the carcasses of all kinds of big fish … The giant stone statues on Easter Island also flashed before his eyes … Corpses, those giant rocks looked like corpses, they were all corpses … Ritual, ritual …
The pool, the putrid swamp, the rocks, the corpses, the two images flickered. He pressed on his throbbing forehead and opened his eyes to look.
"This is weird …" He told the people around him, "Shouldn't there be many seabirds here?"
When Gu Jun said that, the group was shocked. It felt like a part of their consciousness had been clouded, but now it had cleared up.
When they were rowing earlier, they had seen many birds flying around the island, the sky, and the sea.
"Isla Salas y Gómez is a sanctuary known as the Christmas Shearwater," Xue Ba said. "That is because this island has the largest number of adult Christmas Shearwater birds in the world. At its peak, there are more than five thousand of them. There are also blue-faced boobies, white-crowned gulls … "
"Captain Xue, that is not the point." Uncle Dan had to interrupt Xue Ba. "The point is, where did the birds disappear? Where did they go? "
"Or rather … where are we now?" Gu Jun turned to Deng Ximei. "Ah Mei, what do you think?"
"The space has warped." Deng Ximei said, "Perhaps we are seeing illusions, or perhaps we are illusions."
The other teams also noticed the anomaly. Not only were the birds nowhere to be seen, the radio signal on their communicators had weakened like they were under heavy interference.
With the weak signal, they were still able to communicate with the fleet. They knew the seabirds could still be seen outside the island. Everything was normal!
This happened the moment they landed on the island. What should they do? Of all the teams from different countries, the ones in charge were Phecda and FBM.
One of the leaders of the Shearwater Birds, Grant Bell, messaged Gu Jun, "We're requesting for backup. Send more people over via helicopter."
"No!" When Gu Jun heard that from the walkie-talkie, he frowned immediately. He objected, "We are the ones who have arrived in this manner to open the door. If we use helicopters to transport people to the island, the door will be destroyed. If the enemy is not happy with our actions today, if they have the ability to open the door, we might not get a second chance. "
He did not argue with Grant Bell, he communicated directly with the fleet. After all, his experience and power were more convincing. Now was not the time to argue or joke. "From now on, the people on this island can leave but those outside cannot enter!"
Wales had escaped from the small island, so it should be fine if he left. Leaving was the end, but those who came in again would disrupt those who hadn't finished.
Therefore, Gu Jun suggested again, "We can evacuate some of the people first!"
Did the enemy want them to come? Was this an accident or a trap?
Gu Jun had no idea but he knew the loss of any one of the 172 people here would be a huge loss to global security. Before the anomaly, humanity's frontline power was already weak. Even the suicide squad should not be sent out. Losing so many elites at once would be disastrous.
However, Gu Jun's insistence on evacuating the people grumbled. 'You guys weren't born with this kind of experience, were you?'
"Dirty-minded Jun." Wu Shiyu patted Gu Jun on his shoulder. He did not say anything, he merely consoled him.
"Everyone, listen up!" Gu Jun used the communication channel to issue another warning. He said in English, "I do not wish to participate in pointless arguments. What we need now is unity. It's fine if you don't want to evacuate but do not stray too far from each other because the storm might appear at any moment. I've been through it many times. There is no need for any warning, it will come suddenly. "
When everyone heard this, they more or less listened to it. The leaders also became more cautious and ordered the team members not to wander around.
The fleet listened to Gu Jun and temporarily stopped sending reinforcements. They were told to move as soon as possible since it was almost high tide.
The cliff at the highest point of the island was less than 50 metres away from the shore where the Problematic Team and the Shearwater Team landed. Normally, the highest point of an anomaly like this would be a crucial location. At that moment, Gu Jun was among the members of the joint assault unit of the two squads. They slowly and cautiously moved forward with their rifles in hand.
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